Fort Myers Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Armed Bank Robbery and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon

Fort Myers Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Armed Bank Robbery and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon

FORT MYERS, FL—U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Orental James Allen, Jr. (23, Ft. Myers) to 10 years in federal prison for armed bank robbery and possession of a firearm and ammunition. The Court also ordered him to forfeit a .40 caliber Sig Sauer P229 pistol and ammunition. Further, as part of his sentence, the Court entered a money judgment in the amount of $5,499, the proceeds of the armed bank robbery.

Allen pleaded guilty on August 19, 2015.

According to court documents, on December 23, 2013, three individuals, including Allen, entered the Fifth Third Bank located at 2068 Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers, Florida. All three carried firearms and two of them jumped over the bank teller counter. The three then took money from the teller drawers and Allen forced a bank employee to accompany him at gunpoint from an office, to the lobby of the bank. The amount of money stolen during the robbery was $5,499.

On January 18, 2014, Fort Myers Police Officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a traffic infraction, and Allen was the front passenger. A trained canine alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Officers subsequently located a plastic Wal-Mart grocery bag, which contained a black Hogue firearm grip, numerous empty white pill capsules, and numerous small clear plastic Ziploc baggies inside the glove box of the vehicle. Due to the vehicle’s driving pattern, officers conducted a search of the area where the vehicle had traveled and located a .40 caliber Sig Sauer P229 loaded with ammunition. The firearm, magazine, and ammunition were processed and identified as belonging to Allen.

Allen was a previously convicted felon and, therefore, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under state law. The State of Florida Office of Executive Clemency certified that his civil rights had not been restored, specifically not the authority to own, possess, or use firearms.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yolande G. Viacava and Michael Baggé-Hernández.